Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her relatives over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises coming from individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study found almost one in five people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
